The GSL has to be one of the oldest leagues in existence with the first competition held in 2010. Since then, the league has held a few seasons each year, with a few changes in event organisers here and there. We're already down to two groups this season, with favourites falling out early and fresh "old" names reclaiming prominence.
Starcraft II 2022 GSL Season 1: Code S Group Stage 2 begins this Sunday on April 11th. Let's take a look at the players and schedule of the tournament.
Following a shocking west-dominated IEM Katowice, we are about to embark on a far larger and longer event.
As a result, the GSL is one of the most significant competitions for players throughout the year. Winning the event nearly guarantees a spot at the next IEM Katowice, and for the rest of the participants, every single placing counts in terms of points. As a result, we can anticipate that every single match in the GSL will be of the greatest calibre.
The second group stage, which we are currently in uses a round-robin format, with all players in the group playing against each other, with the winner advancing to the Playoffs Semifinals, while the runners-up and third-place finishers advance to the Round of 6, where the remaining players for the Playoffs Semifinals are determined.
The playoffs are the most interesting aspect of the event, as the matches are now best of five in the semifinals and best of seven in the grand finals. If you want to see the finest of what Starcraft 2 has to show, you definitely need to watch the Playoffs and see what the Starcraft II craze has been about for all these years. Insane micros and super-human decision making is nothing short (and sometimes even more) of what’s going on in popular FPS titles.
- Round Robin Format.
- All matches are Bo3.
- Player in 1st place of each group advances to the Playoffs Semifinals.
- Players in 2nd and 3rd place of each group advance to the Round of 6.
Schedule & Betting odds
Players that are highlighted in bold have the odds in favour. You can click on the dates to take yourself directly to the detailed match page, and watch the matches as they play out live.
Group A
- Rogue VS. RagnaroK (April 11, 2022 - 12:30 CEST) 1.22 vs. 3.80
- Trap VS. ByuN (April 11, 2022 - 12:15 CEST) 1.85 vs. 1.85
- Rogue VS. Ryung (April 11, 2022 - 13:00 CEST) 1.20 vs. 4.00
- Trap VS. RagnaroK (April 11, 2022 - 13:45 CEST) 1.62 vs. 2.15
- ByuN VS. Ryung (April 11, 2022 - 14:30 CEST) 1.35 vs. 3.00
Group B
- Dark VS. Maru (April 14, 2022 - 11:30 CEST) 2.00 vs. 1.72
- Creator VS. DRG (April 14, 2022 - 12:15 CEST) 1.62 vs. 2.15
- Dark VS. herO (April 14, 2022 - 13:00 CEST) 1.32 vs. 3.10
- Creator VS. Maru (April 14, 2022 - 13:45 CEST) 1.13 vs. 5.30
- DRG VS. herO (April 14, 2022 - 14:00 CEST) 1.82 vs. 1.88
Predictions
Maru and Ryung followed by Dark and DRG advance to Group stage 2
Following the advancement of two Zergs from Group A on Monday, it was Terran's turn to shine in Group B. Many fans anticipated Maru to progress in first place, but there was a surprise in the fight for second place, as Ryung shocked Zest to secure a round-of-10 spot. The last game between Ryung and Zest was exceptionally dramatic, with Ryung overcoming a devastating cannon-rush to secure a miraculous victory.
Though Zest has been able to postpone his military duty for a longer period of time than many fans imagined, it is possible that this was his final Code S event.
The idea of a zerg triumph was prevalent during IEM Katowice, the finale of the 2021/22 ESL Pro Tour. That story continued when the professional StarCraft II season of 2022/23 began, with Dark and DongRaeGu progressing from the initial group of Code S Season 1. Classic and Dream, sadly for Protoss and Terran fans, were eliminated and will have to wait till next season. Dark and DRG will advance to the tournament's newly created round-robin group stage, which is one of the most significant new improvements to GSL Code S.
Two huge names have already been eliminated in the early stages of the groups. Both Cho "Dream" Joong-hyuk and Joo "Zest" Sung-wook left their respective groups early on. Park "DRG" Soo-ho and Kim "Ryung" Dong-won took their places.
DRG and Ryung are both legendary names on the scene, yet no pre-tournament commentator predicted them to advance over the other legends. If the favourites continue to be ousted in the group stage, the Starcraft betting markets may go out of whack.
